The Paradox of Control and Freedom

A friend of mine used to be a Dom. Back when she lived in LA, she used to tie up wealthy men, strip them, whip them, and make them do whatever she wanted.

Get in the room! Take your pants off!

She was paid really well to rip them of their dignity, and the big bucks came in during rare occasions in which she was requested to “kidnap” wealthy men, tie them up and throw them into a car, and then drop them off in a desert. She and her team would then punish them, and then release them back into reality.. most often a world in which they ran a department or an organization.

But why would they enjoy that? I asked.

Tribute to my best friend

Deep depression causes a form of blindness.. blindness to your worth, how much you’re loved, and all the great possibilities yet to be explored.

Sometimes, fresh air, sunshine, and a phone call can go a long way.. how I wish you had called me, friend.

Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

-Reinhold Niebuhr

How things have changed in 6 years!

jpruf-london-journal

I picked up an old journal that I kept while studying + working abroad in London. Wow, looking back on a day for the first time in six years is such a treat. Here’s my journal entry from 4/7/09, which was exactly 6 years ago:

The Birds Have Vanished into the Sky

The birds have vanished into the sky,
And now the last cloud drains away.

We sit together, the mountain and I,
Until only the mountain remains.

-Li Po

How Dare I Evaluate Another Person

I booed a performer recently.

Sophie, who was sitting next to me, initiated the booing, and I chimed in. Soon, more and more people started booing, and the singer had to leave the stage. The interesting thing is that she wasn’t at all bad. The problem was that she wasn’t impressive.

The Things I Need

The things I need
The things I want
The things I have
The things I hoard
The things I forget
The things I cherish
The things I try
The things I achieve
The things I hide
The things I forgive

Infatuation

As I get drunk off of just the aroma of this red wine,
I indulge in the fantasy of having you in my arms.

I normally walk hurriedly as I’m being stalked by time,
But then comes a respite that comes with my daydreams.

Jennifer Prufer

Madrid at Night (Photography)

Madrid becomes a far more interesting city at night.

One cool autumn night in 2011, I stepped out of my apartment to get some air, and somehow ended up walking around the city for an hour. The pictures aren’t bad considering I didn´t have a tripod, and used a point and shoot camera. Hope you enjoy the night photography! Evening photographs to come soon.

Reina Sofia Museum Madrid
The Reina Sofia Museum at night

Photographs of Istanbul

Istanbul_street
The Galata Tower
The Galata Tower over the Bosphorous River. You can hop over to Asia from Europe by crossing this river.

“If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.”
– Napoleon Bonaparte

Istanbul is one of those places that will instantly wake up your five senses. Random strangers and invitations, strong Turkish coffee, colorful carpets, soft silk scarves, salted yogurt drinks (Ayran), pistachio-flavored Turkish delight, the voices of the muezzins that call the Muslims to prayer, and the sweet smell of Hookah from the outdoor bars are still vivid in my memory.

The Secrets of the Aya Sofya

The Aya Sofya

Some people and tourist guides refer the Aya Sofya (also spelled Ayasofya) as the Hagia Sofia, which is the Greek name. On a side note, many Greeks still call Istanbul Constantinople, just to piss the Turks off. Ok, some of the items on this list aren’t really secrets.

Inside the Ayasofya

Do you see Jesus and Mary right between the Arabic calligraphy that says Allah and Mohammed? The Aya Sofya is the only building that served both Christianity and Islam. The building was constructed as a church under Emperor Justinian in year 537 (Astonished by the Aya Sofya’s beauty, Justinian claimed that he outdid Solomon upon seeing it for the first time). The Islams converted it into a mosque in year 1453 as soon as they conquered Istanbul. Ataturk finally converted it to a museum in 1924.

An Excerpt From My Novel – My Hope Tarnished

An excerpt from a novel I’ve been working on (although I haven’t written anything at all recently):

My hope, tarnished like an abandoned bicycle chained to a tree for years;
As the bicycle, my aspirations chained to the harsh physical realities;